Bill Walsh, byname of William Ernest Walsh (born Nov. 30, 1931, Los Angeles, California, U.S.—died July 30, 2007, Woodside, California) influential American gridiron football coach, whose “West Coast offense” changed pro football during the 1980s. Among his most celebrated players were quarterback Joe Montana and receiver Jerry Rice, holder of nearly every professional pass-catching record.

Bill Walsh.

Mitchell B. Reibel—Ai Wire/Landov

Although only an average athlete, Walsh entered coaching upon his graduation from San Jose State in 1955. He coached on the high-school, junior college, and college level before becoming an assistant coach for the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League (NFL) in 1968. There he served as end and quarterback coach under Paul Brown through 1975, earning praise for developing Ken Anderson into a star quarterback.

When Brown retired, Walsh was disappointed not to be named his successor. He briefly considered retiring from coaching; instead, he joined the San Diego Chargers’ staff, where he was credited with turning Dan Fouts into a Hall of Fame quarterback. In two seasons (1977–78) as head coach at Stanford University (California), he led the team to two victories in bowl games.

In 1979 Walsh returned to the NFL as head coach of the San Francisco 49ers. The team struggled to a 2–14–0 record in his first season but by 1981 had emerged as NFL champions with a victory in Super Bowl XVI. Under Walsh the 49ers also won Super Bowls XIX (1985) and XXIII (1989) and registered a record of 102–63–1. After retiring in 1989, he worked as a television analyst before returning in 1992 to Stanford, where he coached for three seasons. Walsh later served as a consultant to the 49ers and held several other posts with the team.

Walsh believed in “scripting”—selecting ahead of time—the first 25 plays of a game. His “West Coast offense” was a ball-control offense that featured short passes and quick slanting pass routes by receivers and running backs. This resulted in coverage mismatches and space for the backs and receivers to break long runs. Walsh was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1993.

Learn More in these related articles:

The 49ers ascendancy began in 1979 when quarterback Joe Montana was drafted by new head coach Bill Walsh. Upon his arrival in San Francisco, Walsh installed his innovative “West Coast offense,” which relied on a series of quick, accurate passes and was a perfect fit for Montana’s skills. San Francisco rebounded from a 2–14 record in Walsh’s first year to the franchise’s first...

Montana became the 49ers’ starting quarterback midway through his second season in San Francisco. His field vision and keen decision making were ideal for head coach Bill Walsh’s “West Coast offense,” which relied on a series of short, accurate passes to move the ball downfield. Montana led the 49ers to their first Super Bowl victory in January 1982, earning game MVP honours in the...

October 13, 1962 Starkville, Mississippi, U.S. American professional gridiron football player whom many consider the greatest wide receiver in the history of the National Football League (NFL). Playing primarily for the San Francisco 49ers, he set a host of NFL records, including those for career...